Washington 16^th November 1861

 

Dear father sisters and brother i write these few lines to you hoping to find you in good health as this leaves me at preasent and i have not much to say at preasent but i will give an account of my travel we took the steamboat Joseph Belknap at Staten Island and reached South Amboy at 10 oclock that night and then we took the cars to Camden and got there at 4½ in the morning and then croosed the Scuykill River in the ferry boat to Phildelphia and then we had a good breakfast and then we took the cars at 8 oclock for Baltimore we got there at 5 oclock in the evening and then we marched around the principal streets and then we took the cars for Washington at 8 oclock and got to washington on Wedensday night at 12 oclock and then got some supper fat pork and bread at a place called the soldiers retreat belonging to the goverment we staid there all night and got some pork again for breakfast and then we left on Thursday for camp we marched about ½ a mile from the Capitol we commenced to strike tents in afternoon and then commenced to rain it rained all night and we had to lay on the ground with a blanket under me we are encamped at a foot of a hill and is swamppy / and mud to your ancles we commenced to build a fire place to get something to eat for we had nothing to eat except what we bought ourselvs i bought a pair of gloves and the Captian is going to New York for indiarubber Blankets and i shall get one which shall be kept out of our wages all we had was 2 meales from we left Staten Island this is the devels place in wet weather i went all through Capitol on Thursday write and let me know is father working and let me know how much money Jimmy gave you the place is full of camps and as soon as this reaches you write and let me know all the particulars for we dont expect to be here long

 

So no more at preasent but Remains yours truly

John Loughran

 

if wite as soon as this goes to hand and

Direct to

Company F 57 Regiment N.Y.S.V.

National guard Rifles

Col. Zook

Washington

District of Columbia /

 

PS Send me some stamps for narly all my money is gone for since we come to Washington we bought our own food such as cakes and pies from pedlers and there are a great many woman pedlers selling coffee and milk so we bought things since the day we went to camp up till friday night and that was the first meal we had we get a loaf a bread a day meat 1 a day and thats very fat we had a fine breakfast in Phildelphia some bread and coffe in Baltimore and in Washington the pork was verry fat there

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